1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission for an automatic clothes washing machine and more particularly to a gearless compact transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Washing machine transmissions are generally fairly bulky and contain gears and other mechanisms required to convert the continuous rotary motion of an electric motor to continuous oscillatory motion in the agitator. Because of the heavy wash loads and mass of water required for washing the clothes, the transmission is generally fairly massive in terms of bulk and strength in order to transmit and convert the necessary torque required to oscillate the agitator within a full wash tub. Thus, the transmission and mechanism for converting continuous rotary motion into continuous rotary oscillating motion needs to be substantial to provide the required torque.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,360 discloses a motion conversion mechanism for converting unidirectional rotary motion to oscillating rotary motion through the use of an intermediate member which reciprocates coaxially with the input and output members for use in electric toothbrush. The small, lightweight mechanism disclosed in this patent would not be suitable for use in an automatic washer drive mechanism because of the high level of friction between the rotating cam and the cam follower.
It would thus be advantageous to provide a gearless motion conversion mechanism which is compact in size yet having sufficient strength and capacity to operate as a drive mechanism for an automatic washer.